The Boss
by Rolyn
Summary: Pepper never liked to work, better yet for her best friend. So in need of a job and a place to stay Pepper agrees to work for Tony, and in doing so she realizes just how much a guy can change in 3 yrs and at times she sees and sometimes she doesn't. TxP
1. Please Daddy?

_Yay I'm finally starting my third IMAA story. I was going to write it Monday but then I was like nah let me save it for Friday so it can go into the weekend…also I've been busy which is a shock considering its Summer and I'm not supposed to be busy. Well enough of my talking. Let's just get to that story. Right? Well Enjoy._

_MethodToMadness_

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_Chapter One: Please Daddy?_

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"Daddy, are you sure you can't get me a loan or something? I'm sure the President will lend you a couple grand for the poor." Pepper whined into her phone as she slumped in her seat on the train she was currently on. She received strange looks from strangers in response to her strange request, but she paid the looks no mind as she waited for her father's response. Mr. Potts was currently in Washington DC acting as the new director to the Federal PI segment of the FBI. The president himself had chosen Pepper's father for the job just as Pepper had graduated high school.

It was convenient that her father would be leaving New York just as she was leaving for college. Surprisingly, once junior year had rolled around for Pepper the idea of college had finally set in and she began to apply herself having all nighters with dozens of cups of sodas and going into more extracurricular activities such as FBI and CIA training that her father had recommended she take up during her sophomore summer.

After she had done so much she managed to get scholarships from some of the best schools such as William Paterson, Montclair State, Yale, NYU, and Princeton. The ginger haired girl had stuck to Princeton due to the fact that they had the best offer; however this set a standard for her that she had to meet every year in order to receive another scholarship to continue her education…which is what led her to begging her father for money.

Pepper had managed to keep up her grades for three scholarships but she had a slip up in her junior year of college causing the money flow to cease which meant she would actually have to pay for school. However her father was not willing enough to give over a hundred thousand dollars for her to probably slip up again so he recommended she raise the money herself by getting a forsaken job. She was twenty-one now so she needed to get some work ethic.

However Pepper was not exactly ecstatic about the idea; heck she wasn't even all for going back to Princeton. Although her career choice required a degree so it was inevitable to escape school or paying for it for that matter.

This was why she was on her way back into New York; to find a job and…she got kicked out of her dorm. As she got on that train earlier that morning she was actually a little excited and terrified at the same time. It had been three years since she had been to New York for more than a few hours and memories began to flood her mind. First thing that came to mind was her adventures with her two best friends, James Rhodes and Tony Stark. Separating from Team Iron Man was the hardest thing she had ever done.

A small smile would always creep its way to her lips as she would reminisce on the moments she shared with those two boys. Looking back she couldn't believe some of the things that had transpired or how hyper she was, however like her crush on Tony her hyperactivity began to wither…as long as she didn't come in contact with soda. Now she was an adult who was on her way to receiving a degree, a FBI member (in training), and her body was registered as a dangerous weapon, which she was very proud of.

"Pepper, you know I can't ask the president for money." Mr. Potts deadpanned from the other end of the line. Pepper let out a childish whine as she slumped further in her seat. Usually he would submit after a few minutes of her childish whining, however it was less effective over a phone, she came to realize.

"But why? He's just the president." Pepper retorted dragging out her words in an annoying manner. People continued to stare at her strangely and she even received a few glares but she still paid those people no mind. Looks had never gotten to her and never would.

"No Pepper."

"Aw c'mon; just sneak into the treasury and take a few gold bars. They'll never know they were missing." Pepper coaxed receiving a gasp from an elderly woman who was sitting not that far off. Mr. Potts chuckled in response to her idea before giving a low 'no'. "Daddy…." She whined.

Pepper really didn't care if she was sounding childish or annoying because she was still her daddy's little girl. It didn't matter that she was a grown adult because she was a child at heart. She was also Daddy's little princess who _hates_ to earn her own money.

"Pepper my first and final answer is no. You have to do this on your own." Mr. Potts said firmly. Pepper rolled her hazel eyes as she leaned forward letting her elbows rest on her knees.

"Yea, but where am I supposed to live?" She retorted dryly.

"You mean to tell me you didn't find anywhere to live yet?" He said in a monotone. Pepper shook her head, as if he could see her before muttering a no. Mr. Potts let out an exasperated sigh and Pepper could just see him leaning back in a chair, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "What about a friend?"

"What friends?" Pepper muttered as she hunched her shoulders.

"What about Tori?" He inquired.

"She moved to New Hampshire." Pepper retorted almost automatically.

"Rhodey?"

"He's _married_ to Tori; where do you think he is?" Pepper snorted rolling her eyes once again. She heard her father give a sheepish laugh on the other end of the line.

"Um…" Mr. Potts trailed off. Pepper waited expectantly with an eyebrow quirked and a bored gaze locked on her converse clad feet. "Aha!" He laughed

"Wha?" Pepper droned a she lifted herself from her hunched over position. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs as she waited for her father to stop laughing. "What!?" She said more sternly as her eyes narrowed into a glare.

"What about Tony? You guys were best friends, weren't you?" Mr. Potts tried. Pepper's brow furrowed as she nervously ran a hand through her now chin length ginger hair, completely disheveling it in the process.

"Yea…b-but Tony and I haven't spoken since high school. He's way too busy with Stark international." Pepper said truthfully because of course she had tried to contact Tony, but she never got through. In the end she managed to keep close contact with Rhodey and Tori who just got married a month ago after three years of dating. Although she and Rhodey have never been the best of friends they were now closer than ever and Tori had always been a friend of Pepper's.

"Don't you think this is a good chance to reconnect?" Mr. Potts pressed. Pepper pursed her lips as she considered the idea. Pepper would never pass up the opportunity to see Tony, but she wasn't even sure that was possible considering his busy schedule as CEO of multibillion international company…although if she could he could help her in her little financial issue she'd be set. He was a billionaire after all so a hundred grand was pocket change to him.

"Uh…yea I'll pay him a visit then." Pepper finally sighed.

"Good, give me a call after you do." Mr. Potts said simply before the line went dead. This didn't become apparent to Pepper until she had said hello about seven times. With a sigh she tucked the phone into the pocket of her black skinny jeans and relaxed in her seat.

Out the window of the train Pepper could see New York City coming into view, but one particular building stood out now more than ever. The futuristic structure of Stark Tower seemed to be her focus as the train continued into the city and she released a shaky sigh. Visiting Tony with the need of a place to stay was the last thing on her mind, but did she really have a choice when she was broke?

"This will be interesting…" Pepper muttered to herself before a small smile came to her lips.

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_First chapter is really not all that eventful but it sets up the story so what does it matter? Well it should but yea whatever. I just need reviews that tell me what you people think. Is it a good idea? Bad idea? Completely redonkulous idea? It's your opinion I'm asking for so press that green and gray button. PLEASE._

_MethodToMadness_


	2. They Don't Call Me Pepper For Nothing

_Okay I really should not have put off updating this story but the idea for the second chapter just came to me. Haha, I feel rather 'slow' at the moment. Well anyhoo I hope you all enjoy this next chapter because I'm sure I'm gonna have fun writing it. Let me shut up now and get right to that. Oh and BTW I do NOT own Iron Man Armored Adventures (but I wish I did)_

_MethodToMadness_

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_Chapter Two: They Don't Call Me Pepper For Nothing_

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Pepper gave a rude look to one of the two guards that stood outside the doors of Stark Tower. Now that she was closer she could see that not much had changed on the outside of the tower; same look, same old potted plants which were probably fake, and same men-in-black guards that seemed to be constantly scrutinizing people behind those wanna-be spy sunglasses. Did a petit red head really look like that much of a threat?

After sizing up one of the guards just to intimidate him, she quickly strut past them both holding her head high with a rolling suitcase trailing behind her and a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. As soon as she passed those doors she couldn't help but feel like she had just walked into the twenty second century. Like she remembered there were people rushing about whether talking into headsets or scampering with stacks of paper in their hands.

What really caught Peppers attention was the robots hovering everywhere; they were definitely upgrades from the robots she remembered. They were more compact and looked like eyes and the fact that the place was so white that it could be classified as sterile environment that she just contaminated just by walking through the doors. Of course there was that long row of detectors that went across the lobby and she knew that in order to reach the front desk she would have to get past them. Now she regretted not leaving her trusty metal bat with the rest of her stuff back at the dorm.

After taking in a deep breath Pepper continued sticking out like a sore thumb in her skinny jeans, high tops, white button up short sleeve shirt and pink argyle sweater vest which wasn't much different from the dress she constantly wore throughout high school. She received strange looks from suited and professionally dressed people, but she paid them no mind. She was on a mission.

Getting past the detectors wasn't much of an issue. She lifted her duffle bag from the sensors reach to avoid getting caught with her bat that she strictly used for protection, not to mention it was a very wonderful birthday gift from Tori. However when she thought she was in the clear a robot stopped right before her face temporarily blinding her with a flash of a camera before a dim laser scanned her over. Before Pepper could reach into her bag to whack the thing it floated away towards the second level and down a hall.

"Stupid robots…" She muttered under her breath before heading to the front desk. Behind that desk were three different secretaries…the weird part was that they all look identical; same auburn hair, same fair skin and same green eyes. Pepper quickly deducted they were triplets. She approached the one in the middle who was currently on a phone call and leaned on the desk before said girl. "Excuse me…" Pepper said in her best sugar coated voice.

The woman paid her no mind and continued her conversation which was obviously not work related by the way she kept saying shut up in this aggravating valley girl accent. Pepper resisted the urge to roll her eyes and forced a smile.

"Excuse me." Pepper said more firmly while tapping on the desk. Still the she was paid no mind and this only caused her to clench a fist. She really had no time for this girl and she couldn't help but wonder how she even obtained a job here. She looked like a ditz while her other sister looked like the world was filled with rainbows and sunshine and the last sister looked like she was about to punch the man she was currently trying to ignore. "Excuse ME!" Pepper nearly yelled.

She caught the attention of people passing by, but she did not catch the attention of little miss "shut up" who was now letting the most annoying laugh ring out. Pepper let her impatience get the better of her and she snatched the phone and slammed it down on the receiver causing the secretary to gasp.

"What!? Are you, like, crazy?" The girl squealed. Pepper tried her best not to get more annoyed by her tone of voice or how thick her valley girl accent became when she was angry.

"No I'm just looking for some help. I need to speak with Tony." She said through grit teeth as she leaned her hands on the edge of the desk. The girl quirked an eyebrow before tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the desk top.

"Who?" She asked in one of those tones that said that this girl had the attention span of a fish. Three seconds and that was it…poor girl.

Pepper resisted the _need_ to roll her eyes as her arms fell to her sides. The secretary still looked expectant for an answer and after raking her hand through her ginger hair; Pepper took another step towards the desk and gave a harshly forced smile.

"Tony Stark. You know; your boss?" Pepper said in a tone that screamed impatience but this girl wouldn't be able to detect it. Instead her mouth gaped open and her eyes widened twice their normal size.

"His name is Tony? I thought it was Anthony!" She almost cried. She turned to her moody looking sister and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl slowly turned with a scowl on her face. "Oh my gosh, Rex his name isn't Anthony! It's Tony!"

"Shut up Heather." The sister known as Rex growled before turning back to her computer screen where a game of solitaire was on. Heather pouted lightly and that was one the third sister jumped in.

"Aw Heather you silly goose! Tony is the abbreviated term for Anthony! A-duh!" The third sister sang before giving a pixie-like giggle. She was annoying but not as annoying as her sister Heather who was now fascinated with something on her hand. How they got their jobs, Pepper would never know.

"Pfft, yea right Kitty. Next you're gonna, like, tell me that Becky is short for, like, Rebecca." Heather snorted rolling her eyes. Pepper's eyes widened as she tried to fathom how one person could be so…in blunt terms, so damn stupid.

"Um, can I just see him please?" Pepper inserted. The triplets all turned their green eyes on her and she nearly jumped at the three different stares she was receiving; a glare, a blank look, and an excited gaze.

"Do you have a, like, appointment?" Heather asked quirking an eyebrow. Pepper opened her mouth only to close it again. She could easily lie but that wouldn't help because they probably kept a record of all appointments that are made.

"No, but I'm a close personal friend. I'm sure if you told him Pepper Potts was here…"

"Nobody, like, get's to see Mr. Stark without a, like, appointment." Heather said simply before reaching for her phone once again. Pepper narrowed her eyes as her hand shot out to grab Heather's. The middle triplet gasped and looked up at Pepper wide eyed.

"Listen sweetheart I'm really not in the mood so can you, _like_, let me see him or do I have to, _like, _call some people to take care of things for me?" Pepper said mocking the girl's accent. Heather swallowed nervously and she glanced at Rex who was smiling lightly. She then glanced at Kitty who looked panicked.

"Like, security!" Heather screeched. Pepper lowered her head for a moment as she heard the shuffling of foot steps behind her. Maybe she shouldn't have nearly threatened the poor girl. She was obviously easily spooked considering she was one of _those_.

"Excuse me Miss, but I'm afraid you have to leave." A security guard said as he reached out towards Pepper. The ginger head girl responded with a rude snort and jerked away from him.

"I'm not leaving until I speak to Tony!" She exclaimed in a matter-of-fact tone. Two other security guards joined the first and they crowded around her.

"Nobody see's Mr. Stark without an appointment. You are going to have to leave." The second guard said as he took hold of her wrist. Pepper shot a glare at him that would have killed him on the spot if looks could kill.

"Don't touch me! I have pepper spray! They don't call me Pepper for nothing!" She yelled. The guard furrowed his brow and she pried herself from his grip.

On the second level watching all of this transpire was a brunette who had her brown eyes locked on the ginger haired girl. She was dressed in a pants suit and was chewing roughly on a piece of pink gum. She smiled inwardly as she whistled. A small round robot came to her and she muttered a command.

* * *

"You're fired." He said simply as he leaned back in his chair. The blue eyed blonde's mouth dropped open as her arms went limp at her sides. He was used to the initial shock but she obviously wouldn't be.

"But I…How could you…where the hell am I going to live!? I thought after last night we…"

"You can leave now. You're stuff will be returned to you later on" He cut off, offering her a fake smile. The young woman shook her head muttering something under her breath about conceited rich people and how completely inconsiderate they were as she made the "walk of shame" towards the door.

Once the door slammed shut he let out a small sigh of relief. That had gone much better than he predicted considering how he fired his last personal assistant last week. She had been so upset that she resorted to dropping on her knees and begging claiming that he was the love of her life. You tell a girl you love her and buy her a few nice things and they automatically think that the two of you are engaged…crazy people in this world…

He's dealt with criers, screamers, even women who hold personal vendettas because they all thought that "they had something" or "he was the first man they truly loved". Why they were so clingy, he would never understand. He just cut them off before they got attached enough to go crazy like that last girl who he had to call the police on…damn crazy people.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony nearly jumped as the image of the head of the security and secretary department appeared as a holographic image from his desk. She had an amused smile on her face as she continued to chew on her gum in a rather unflattering fashion.

"Reggie can you buzz before randomly doing that?" He scorned as he narrowed his blue eyes at her. Reggie rolled her brown eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Listen kid we got some rogue girl in the lobby." She said ignoring his last comment. Her heavy Flushing, Queens, nasal accent cut the sound barrier but Tony was used to it so he didn't cringe like everybody else. Since she was a solid ten years older than him she had gotten around to calling him kid, not in a demeaning manner but as a term of endearment.

"It's probably Megan. I just fired her." Tony said, almost proudly. Reggie offered a fake laugh. Her laugh was just as loud and nasally as her voice and Tony winced at the pitch, not to mention how sarcastic it sounded as it faded. "Since you _are _head of security I believe you should be handling this accordingly." He added smartly.

"I'm surprised you remember Megan's name." She muttered rolling her eyes. "But I'm sorry to say that this girl isn't one of your bed warmers…" Reggie retorted sharply. Tony narrowed his eyes at her and the corner of her mouth curved up into a crooked smile.

"What do you want Reggie?" He deadpanned crossing his arms over his chest. Reggie laughed again.

"Well I just wanted to know if you knew who Pepper Potts was." Reggie said with less enthusiasm. Tony's brow furrowed as he sat up straight in his chair. Reggie could easily read the body language and nodded to herself. "Yea this girl is basically harassing my poor secretaries and she just threatened to hit one of the security guards over the head with a metal bat."

"That's Pepper…" Tony muttered more to himself than Reggie. An amused smile came to his face. He couldn't even remember the last time he had come in contact with the hazel eyed red head and the fact that she was threatening people in his lobby made him smile. He could never deny the fact that he missed her because she was one of his best friends. He also couldn't help but wonder how much she had changed mentally and physically.

"Should I call the police?" Reggie asked nonchalant before popping her gum. Tony slowly shook his head as he leaned back in his chair.

"No, bring her to me. I want you to escort her personally." Tony said. Reggie grinned knowingly before nodding. Her image disappeared and Tony smirked to himself.

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_All done. Wow that was fun to write and most of the OC's have been introduced already. I enjoyed writing Pepper's interaction with the secretaries. I could just expect that from her considering her fiery attitude when it comes to matters such as that. Well I hope you all enjoyed this enough to press that gray and green button. Go ahead and review. It won't hurt ya know._

_MethodToMadness _


	3. My, Have You Grown

_Third chapter; would ya look at that? I've been getting such good feedback for this story and I have high hopes for it. I really can't determine how long it will be, but by how I've been working lately it will probably have an ending chapter in the double digit numbers. Eh, like that really matters though. Let me just get to the story._

_MethodToMadness_

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_Chapter Three: My, Have You Grown_

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A security guard managed to grab Pepper from behind, lifting her off the ground all together and causing her to squeal in surprise. She struggled in his arms while he barked orders for her to calm down and to follow instructions. She did the exact opposite by letting her elbow swing back into the poor guy's stomach with as much force as she could. He choked on his words as his grip on Pepper loosened and she wriggled her way out of his grasp.

He fell to his knees while the other security guys glanced between him and the ginger haired girl who was now glaring as she fixed her shirt. Kitty stared on with wide eyes and her hands cupped over her mouth while her sister Heather peeked out from her hiding spot behind the desk. Rex who had been grinning the whole time laughed, almost maniacally as she pointed a finger at the fallen security guard.

"I told you not to touch me. I don't like to be manhandled." Pepper spat as she threw a threatening look to the other security guards. She dared them to come near her and try to touch her again. It would be the last thing they ever did.

A hand came down on Pepper's shoulder and she immediately tensed before spinning around and falling into a fighting stance. It was a natural reaction at this point for her. The brunette that had touched her took a step back as her eyes widened a bit. Pepper took note of the fact that it looked like she was trying to suppress a smile.

"Ms. Potts, I presume." The woman said. Pepper cringed slightly upon hearing the woman's accent and tone of voice. It was quite loud and very nasally. Pepper could easily say that she had never heard such a voice in her entire life.

"Yes, that's me." Pepper said as she stood up straight and fixed her shirt once again. The woman popped her gum in a rude fashion before nodding slowly as her eyes traveled up and down, scrutinizing Pepper and taking her in.

Pepper did the same finding that this woman looked rather gouty in her opinion, besides her classy pants suit. She was chewing on a piece of gum rather loudly. Her skin was a bit pale, but not sickly and it brought out her bright red lips and flushed cheeks. Her eyes were half lidded and a bright brown color and her brunette hair was half up, half down; altogether it was very curly and very…big.

"Mr. Stark has asked me to personally escort ya to him." The big haired brunette said as she jerked her head in the direction she had come from. Pepper blinked stupidly before nodding. She turned to retrieve her duffle bag, which she had dropped during her…minor fight.

The brunette took hold of her rolling bag and Pepper muttered a thank you which was paid no mind as the woman began to walk in long strides; her dangerously high heels clicking with each step. Pepper quickly followed, but not before turning towards the security guards and sticking out her tongue.

"So, ya quite the feisty one, aren't ya Ms. Potts." The brunette said. Pepper's eye twitched instead of a full out cringe. She knew that getting used to this woman's voice was a long term process and she didn't have that kind of time.

"Uh…yea, I just really needed to see Tony. I'm just glad he obviously knows I'm here." Pepper said as she glanced around. Unlike the lobby everything wasn't as white. The wide hall they were walking down was basically made of steel walls and ceiling with navy carpeting. It was much dimmer…

"Yes…Ya must be a good friend of Mr. Stark's if ya refer to him as _Tony_." She continued saying 'Tony' as if it were some foreign term. She let out a long laugh that bounced off the walls and turned the heads of passerby's. Pepper offered a forced chuckle as Reggie glanced over her shoulder at her.

"Yea, Tony and I went to high school together." Pepper explained. The brunette nodded slowly as they continued on their way, weaving around cubicles only to reach an elevator.

"I figured…my name is Reggie Dixon by the way. I'm head of security and secretary staff here." Reggie said offering her hand just as the elevator opened and some people began to trickle their way out. Pepper gave Reggie's hand one quick shake before the two of them entered the now vacant elevator.

"You might wanna work on your staffing…it's sorta lacking." Pepper began cautiously while mainly referring to Heather and some of those security guards who had the audacity to touch her. Reggie let out another laugh. Pepper could not tell but she believed that she was trying to make the laugh sound light and subtle.

_Not with that voice she can't…_Pepper thought as she let her eyes trail away from the tall brunette.

"Actually my security team is pretty well put together and I oversee the hiring of all secretaries. Kitty may seem rather…happy, but she's very professional and her sister Rex is very organized and well put together." Reggie explained with an affirming nod.

"What about Heather?" Pepper inquired perking an eyebrow. Reggie's mouth twisted to the side in an annoyed fashion as her arms moved to cross under her chest.

"Heather was Mr. Stark's idea. He's always wanted to hire triplets…" Reggie practically scoffed as she rolled her eyes in a very sarcastic manner. Pepper's brow furrowed just as the elevator doors hissed open and they stepped into brightly lit hallway. Pepper realized that the fact that it was so bright was due to the skylight ceiling. Opposite to the elevator was a pair of double doors with two security guards on either side. It was easy for Pepper to deduct that this must be Tony's office.

"C'mon Red, what cha standing there for?" Reggie chuckled cutting through Pepper's thoughts. The ginger haired girl nearly jumped when Reggie gestured for her to follow. All the while she was wondering where the nickname 'Red' came from.

Scanning herself over and running a hand through her hair, Pepper took in a deep breath and stepped forward just as Reggie pushed the door open. Pepper couldn't fight back a smile. After what seemed like a very long three years she was finally seeing Tony again. There was a fluttering in her stomach that she had not felt in a while which caused her brow to furrow.

"Mr. Stark!" Reggie screeched. The security guards outside the door winced as their hands flew up to cover their ears. Pepper's eyes clenched shut as she hunched her shoulders. Reggie smiled brightly as the doors closed behind both Pepper and her.

Tony, who had been sitting at his desk working on something that resembled blueprints for a new Iron Man suit, jumped lightly. He crumpled up the blue prints without lifting his head and gripped the now crushed design in a fist.

"Reggie! What did I tell you about warning me first!?" He scolded without lifting his head. The brunette smiled coyly and shrugged.

"I did warn ya." Reggie giggled giving a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Ms. Pepper Potts is here to see ya." She added as her coy smile turned ginger. She crossed her arms under her chest once again as Tony's eyes snapped up to meet hers. She jerked her head in the red heads direction and his eyes followed.

"Pepper…" He breathed as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he lifted himself from his seat. Pepper who had been paying more mind to tugging at her shirt to smooth out the invisible wrinkles, slowly lifted her head and offered a forced smile which quickly went soft when her hazel eyes found his blue ones.

Her lips parted a bit as she tried not to gape. Three years could really change a person because Pepper could identify many changes in his physique. He had always been just a bit shorter than Rhodey throughout high school, but now his height could rival the now married man. He looked to be about 6ft3 at this point. His hair seemed to have darkened and it had grown out a bit, however it was still messily and naturally spiked.

Pepper understood that he was very good looking before (every girl at school made sure to recognize that) but now he was just strikingly handsome. Although when they left high school they had a little bit of growing left to do, he looked as though he was done. His lean teenaged body had matured; now broad, muscular and toned. His facial structure had sharpened into adulthood giving him a strong look.

"Tony!" She exclaimed letting her bag drop from her shoulder. He moved from behind his desk and she wasted no time into sprinting at him and tackling him into one of her classic hugs before he could even make it to the front of his desk.

Although it was her normal hug she struggled to get her arms around his neck due to the fact that he now towered over her by about a head. He let his arms snake their way around her waist and unlike when they were in high school he was not hesitant or cautious. He pulled her into him tilting her back a bit so that he was leaning over her. Reggie smiled knowingly as she slowly backpedaled towards the door.

"Oh my gosh! You are so tall now!" Pepper pointed out with a laugh as she let her arms fall. Tony released her and she took a step back as she took him in once again. She had to admit there were a lot of things that caught her eye and caused her to inwardly smile. "Your hair is shaggy too and it looks like you've been working out."

Normally he would have responded with an awkward chuckle as his cheeks would be tinted with the lightest shade of red, but instead he let his smile turn crooked in a sort of cocky manner as he crossed his arms over his chest. That was when Pepper finally took note of the perfectly pressed white shirt and suit pants he was adorning. The jacket to finish the look hung forgotten on the back of his chair.

"Well look at you," He countered as he leaned back on his desk. His eyes traveled over her from top to bottom and he perked an eyebrow. "You look…amazing." He finished. Pepper smiled brightly as she shrugged in a careless manner.

He continued to size her up. Her hair was as fiery as ever but it was longer and the slant of her bangs was more apparent. She still had those freckles that were exaggerated whenever she smiled as well. She had always been tall so she had not grown much taller. Her eyes were sharper and she grew into her face a bit giving her that womanly look.

She had her own lean muscle due to her extensive training and she had grown out in all the right places giving her the curves of a woman that were very hard to detect when they were younger even during her senior year of high school. She had certainly grown into a ravishing young woman; however she did not drop her tomboyish style. It was something she couldn't get rid of.

"My, have you grown..." He mused, more to himself than to her.

"Thank you! You don't look half bad yourself." She laughed remaining oblivious to the fact that his eyes were everywhere but her eyes. "So, what have they got you doing that you can't pick up a phone and give me a call?" She asked bluntly. The smile on her face didn't falter but her tone showed that she was curious.

"I've been busy with a lot of things…some of my father's inventions are still missing, new inventions are in the making, I have a company to oversee and Iron Man of course." He list. Pepper nodded in understanding. She didn't expect anything less when it came to Tony. He always seemed to think other people's jobs were his jobs. "To what do I owe this surprise visit because I'm really glad to see you."

Pepper beamed as she felt the back of her neck heating up and probably turning red. She suppressed the feeling to keep the color from spilling over onto her cheeks. She had not blushed because of Tony in a long time and she wasn't going to let it happen that easily. It wasn't as though she still liked him because that was just a school girl crush that she outgrew.

"I'm glad to see you too. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you and now look at you; you are a handsome, successful, intelligent man." She said with a kind smile. He returned the smile before lowering his gaze.

"What about you? You're going to be graduating from one of the best colleges in the country." He responded. The reminder about school made her mentally cringe and also reminded her why she was standing before one of her old friends.

"About that…" She breathed as an arm came up to nervously rub the back of her neck. Tony perked an eyebrow at her as he waited for her to continue. "I've been going to school off of scholarships and I had one more year to go but…" She trailed off avoiding his gaze.

"You flunked a class, didn't you?" He inserted. She nodded frantically with a sheepish smile on her face and he brought a hand to his head. "Pepper…"

"Hey, advanced bio-engineering is not as easy as it looks." She countered in defense for her case. Tony shook his head slowly as an amused smile came to his lips.

"It's rather simple actually." He commented. Her face was washed of all emotion as she gave him a blank stare. How could he compare his understanding of concepts to hers? He was a genius.

"To you." She deadpanned. He shrugged in response. "Well my school issue is why I'm here. My dad thinks it would teach me _work ethic_ if I moved back into the city and earned my money for my last year of college…although by the time I earn enough money I'll be old enough to retire." She explained, muttering the last part more to herself than him. "The bigger issue is I have no place to say and no money."

"Oh so you come and see me only when you need help?" He questioned as he pushed off from his desk and moved around it back to his chair. Pepper shook her head frantically as she bit her lower lip.

"Of course not! This was actually my best opportunity to see you because if I was still in school I would be way too busy and I'm still going through some FBI training. Believe me I do not want to work or go back to school for that matter." She explained all in one breath. Tony couldn't help but laugh lightly at her frantic explanation.

"I was kidding Pepper. I'm always here to help you."

"That's great because I could really use some." She breathed slumping her shoulders.

"So you're looking for a job and a place to live?" He clarified.

"Basically."

He nodded slowly as he retook his seat. Pepper watched him closely as a look of contemplations came over him; letting his elbows rest on his desk as his fingers knit together. Pepper found that as a classic thoughtful pose for most CEO's. It was rather stereotypical, but true nonetheless. Silence hung there for a moment and she stood there twiddling her fingers rather nervously.

_What could he possibly be thinking about for so long!? _She thought while biting her lower lip once again, making it turn red.

That was when she _felt_ his eyes on her once again. The shiver that had come up her spine had given her the signal and the fact that his eyes were locked on her was a pretty good clue as well. She looked past him, and through the large glass window that overlooked the city, trying to ignore the fact that he was looking her over.

"I have an idea…" He began. As if it was an automatic reaction, she smiled and brought her eyes to meet his, also taking note of the knowing smirk that came to his lips. This surprised her because Tony _never_ smirked as far as she knew. "I can give you a job here."

"Ooh, really!? That would be awesome!" She practically sighed as she clamped her hands together. Working under the thumb of a rich boss was never what she would go for but since it was Tony, it was an automatic yes. "But what about me finding a place to live?"

"Well, the job I have in mind actually includes the benefit of living with me." He said coyly. Pepper's eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open. When she was younger, living with Tony seemed like the best thing in the world which was why she even offered to trade places with Rhodey (he was not hesitant to refuse and call her crazy). Now…it meant something entirely different. It was not some twisted fantasy that she had made up, it was a genuine offer.

"What is this job?" She managed to get out as she felt her cheeks warm up a bit. She mentally cursed herself for letting her mind wander far enough into her past to make her blush.

"My personal assistant. My last one…didn't work out." He explained choosing his words carefully before offering her a coy smile. Pepper's brow furrowed for a moment before she gave a careless shrug.

"Sounds easy enough." She said in an enthusiastic tone as she gave an optimistic.

* * *

_Ahaha yes I'm done and yes I'm leaving it there. I had fun writing this chapter and I hope you liked reading it. To show just how much you like it you can review and tell me! I'd really appreciate it. Well go ahead…if you're still reading this you are not listening to me._

_MethodToMadness _


	4. Home Sweet Home

_I am so sorry for the delay on this update, but I am very happy about the amount of feedback I have gotten. This is one story that I'm trying to be careful in and hopefully it will last longer than the other's but you can never be too sure. Okay let's get to the story instead of me giving random and slightly useless information._

_MethodToMadness_

* * *

_Chapter Four: Home Sweet Home_

* * *

"Wow…this place is amazing." Pepper breathed as she took a few hesitant steps into what would _temporarily_ be her home while she worked as her best friend's assistant. When he had offered the job she had no intention of refusing. Pepper knew what a personal assistant had to do, she saw the movies; all they did was trail behind their boss and manage things which Pepper was totally capable of. Being a part of the former team Iron Man had prepared her for that.

What she was not prepared for was the lavish penthouse that stood tall and elegantly not that far from Stark Tower. The home could rival Stark Tower in height, but it certainly surpassed it in beauty and structure. One step into the house and she was awestruck. The main foyer was at least ten times the size of her dorm back at Princeton. It was also the home of two staircases that sat on either side. Down the center flowing down from the high ceiling was a waterfall that was protected by glass.

"Yea…pretty extravagant." Tony said, almost sounding sheepish, although underlying the tone was a sound of pride and arrogance. Pepper paid the tone no mind, dropping her shoulder bag on the sparkling white marble floor and taking a few more steps. Her head twisted left to right as she took everything in, from the Stark insignia on the floor to the diamond chandelier that hung overhead.

"This place must have cost a fortune!" She said looking over her shoulder at Tony who was still standing by the door with subtle smile on his face. "I understood you were loaded but this is…much more than I expected." She added shaking her head.

"Are you jealous?" he asked jokingly as he came up to her side. Pepper rolled her eyes while crossing her arms under her chest. Taking another glance around, she couldn't help but feel rather envious of her friend's luxurious living. If this was only the foyer, she could only imagine what the rest of the house looked like.

"Don't get high and mighty on me Tony. I'm just a little surprised. I never took you as the extravagant type." She stated in a matter of fact tone. He perked an eyebrow at her before letting his eyes roam around.

"I didn't either." He admitted with a sigh. She glanced at him with a furrowed brow and her mouth pressed in to a line. She couldn't read his facial expression because it was blank. She could only take not of his eyes darting around, as if he couldn't believe that this was his home.

"Okay then, why don't you show me to my room." She said quickly, breaking the silence. She was not going to waste time in pondering over something that might bother him, so changing the subject was the best thing.

"I'll leave that to House." Tony said simply. The corners of his mouth pulled into a crooked smile as Pepper cocked her head to the side in confusion. Before she could ask any questions a man dressed in a suit appeared in front of Pepper causing her to let out a scream and stumble back. "Pepper, House; House, Pepper." Tony said gesturing from the holographic image to Pepper.

"It's a pleasure to you." House said extending a projected hand. Pepper sized up the holographic man who looked to be in his late twenties. His eyes were a strange white color which matched his hair and he looked rather pale as well…considering he wasn't even human.

"Uh…" Pepper said as she reached out only to have her hand disrupt the hologram for a moment causing it to become fuzzy. Pepper glanced at Tony who was giving that nonchalant, subtle smile that seemed to taunt her in her state of confusion and shock.

"House is exactly what his name is. He's a program installed into the house. It wasn't until just recently I was able to make him into a holographic image." Tony explained.

"And I am very thankful." House said offering a smile. Tony turned to Pepper who still looked rather confused; however she should not expect any less when it came to Tony. He would be the one to have a house that could think and function on its own. She only wondered about what a hassle it would be if he had to move.

"Well then, House will get you situated." Tony said as House nodded and turned to leave. Pepper, however, did not follow. Instead she turned to Tony once again, biting her lip anxiously.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Don't worry. I'll be in my office taking care of some things. If you need me, just tell House and he'll get me." Tony explained before giving her a reassuring smile. Pepper nodded slowly before following the hologram that was half way up the left stair case. She glanced back at Tony only to see that he had disappeared from the spot where he once was.

* * *

"Here you are Miss. Pepper; hopefully this room is to your liking." House said as the double doors to a room automatically opened. Pepper stepped inside paying no regard to the fact that she had just walked through House and disrupted his projection once again.

Her mouth dropped open as she strode into the room taking in it's detail with each step she took. The bed was covered in red and gold satin bedding with matching pillows and it was much larger than a king sized bed. Draped over it was a gold canopy that was retractable upon command. In the center of the room was a glass table with red and gold chairs that matched the bed spread.

Pushed against a wall was a wardrobe made from red wood and to go along with it were bed side tables and side cabinets were lamps stood. The wall opposite to the door was one large window with its gold curtains drawn so that it overlooked the now dim outside. The view of the city was breathtaking in Pepper's opinion.

"I will leave you to get settled." House said pulling her from her awe struck stupor. Pepper glanced behind her just in time to see the image of House fade until completely gone. Once he was gone the door to her room clicked shut and she smiled inwardly.

"This place is awesome!" Pepper exclaimed as she pressed her hands to her glass wall. She laughed to herself before pushing away from the window and skipping towards her new bed. She flopped down in it with a sigh as the sheets enveloped her with that 'fresh-out-of-the-dryer' smell. She giggled girlishly as she stood to her feet on the bed and began to jump up and down.

After a few minutes of jumping and giggling to herself, Pepper fell back into her bed with her ginger hair splaying around her head like a halo. She released a content sigh before sitting up and giving the room one last look over. Taking in the many small yet probably expensive details of her room made her wonder what the rest of the house looked like. So far she had been given a good glimpse of the main hall and the foyer.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her Pepper swung her feet of the side of the bed before tucking her hair behind her ears and straightening out her clothes. She jumped from the elevated bed and made her way towards the door. She took the handle before pushing it open and peaking her head out into the hall. Looking from left to right to make sure the coast was clear she snuck out the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

She moved so that her back was to the wall. She took unnecessary cautious steps down the hall; the opposite way in which house had led her to reach her room. Once she reached the open area where the two front stair cases was she peaked downstairs to see that the foyer was still vacant of all life. It made her wonder just where Tony's home office was.

Making a swift turn around the corner she glanced at the gold railing to the staircase. Giving a devious smile she perched herself in a sitting position on the railing and pushed off. Sliding down the curve before giving a good jump at the end she landed on the floor with a soft thud. Glancing around she scampered to the left where she entered what she believed was the living area. The walls were covered with strange looking pieces of art and the fire place was burning and crackling.

"Weird taste in art…" Pepper muttered before moving through to the next room. After surveying the area she found herself in the dining room. The room was lit by a dim chandelier and the table was perfectly set for at least fifteen people. Pepper quirked and eyebrow and passed the table and through a swinging door.

That door led to a kitchen that looked even larger than the foyer. Her brow furrowed as she looked around. She strode up to the kitchen island and picked up an apple that was sitting in a red wood basket.

"Fake…of course." She grumbled before returning the fake apple back to its place. Letting her eyes wander again she strode over to what she believed was a microwave. It looked like one but it didn't have any buttons or even a handle to open it. "What the…" She trailed off.

She poked the contraption cautiously before bringing down a fist on it. After receiving no response she repeated the action over and over.

"Are you trying to break it?"

"AH!" Pepper shrieked picking up the nearest object for her defense. She quickly spun around to see Tony giving her a strange look.

"Were you going to fight me off with a wooden spoon?" He laughed gesturing to the wooden spoon tightly clutched in her hands. She glanced between him and the spoon before dropping it on the counter and bringing her arms up to cross under her chest.

"You scared me! Where the hell did you come from anyway?" She exclaimed, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

"Hey I live here so I have a right to pop up whenever I feel like it." He shot back.

"Touché…" She muttered narrowing her eyes into slits.

"Were you hungry or you were just being curious again?" He sighed leaning back against the counter. Pepper couldn't help but crack a small smile as she mimicked his actions.

"You know me all too well."

"Of course I do." He sighed flashing her a cocky smile. She rolled her eyes but her smile gave her away.

"I didn't know your job paid so well," Pepper joked as she let her eyes travel around the kitchen once again; taking in all the expensive epics of technology that she wasn't even sure was for cooking. "If this is how you've been living since graduation, I would have planned a hostile takeover of Stark International from the day we met." She laughed.

"Hey there are other means to living in the lap of luxury." He countered in a matter of fact tone.

"Yea, working your ass off until you're a lifeless workaholic." She snorted giving another eye roll. He humored her by offering a light laugh.

"Well that or marrying into the business." He sighed. Pepper perked an eyebrow as she glanced at him to see a very suggestive smirk on his lips.

"Is that a marriage proposal?" She laughed.

"I'm not telling.' He retorted simply while shaking his head. She scoffed and brought up a fist to nudge his shoulder.

"Tony you became such a freak." She laughed letting her smile soften and lowering her gaze.

"You haven't seen anything yet." He muttered.

* * *

_I'm leaving it there for now because I want to and I can. I'm all smiles right now, probably because of this chapter because it can't be the heat. I'm suffering and I'm a writer baby so snow is my friend…this heat is literally killing me. So let me go and complain to my mom and stop complaining to you._

_MethodToMadness _


	5. Hopped Up Out The Bed, Turn My Swag On

_Sincerest apologies about the tremendous wait for this next chapter. Wow I feel bad for just dropping it and not paying it any mind. I guess I just had a lapse of what should come in the next chapter but I have come to a decision, obviously. Hopefully I do not disappoint and you all enjoy this next chapter._

_~Restore My Soul~_

* * *

_Chapter Five: Hopped Up Out The Bed Turn My Swag On_

* * *

"Hey…Hey Red getcha butt in gear and wake up will ya?"

Pepper cringed at the nasally voice that she could easily identify, the only thing that confused her was why she could hear it with clarity. She was positive that she was snuggled in the lush bed that had been offered to her, peacefully dreaming about "getting married into the business" once she accepted the proposal of a certain blue eyed billionaire.

"I'll give ya to the count of three before I use the bucket of watah." Reggie said as she placed her hands on her hips while cocking them out in an arrogant fashion. She twisted her blood red lips to the side in annoyance when she simply got a groan in response from the ginger haired girl.

Glancing at the bucket of ice infested water at her foot; Reggie couldn't help but smile devilishly to herself. When Tony had called her that morning asking her to "prep Pepper for work" she had an identical smile on her face. Tony always asked her to prep the new workers and she took the word literal becoming a personal alarm clock, wardrobe consultant and personal manual.

"One…" She sighed before popping the fresh piece of neon pink gum in her mouth. Pepper cringed at the noise and jerked her thick comforter over her head.

Reggie chuckled.

"Two…" Pepper curled up into a ball under her sheets muttering a muffled "go away".

Reggie shook her head, almost shamefully as she bent at the waist and retrieved the bucket of ice water that she had prepped for this very moment.

"Three." She didn't even give Pepper a chance before the contents of the bucket was emptied over the red head, seeping into her sheets and ice cubes slipping under to attack Pepper personally. The girl in question shrieked at such a high pitch that it could rival Reggie's voice, as she jerked her sheets aside throwing water in a random direction.

Pepper shuffled to get out of the bed, all the while fumbling to retrieve an ice cube that fell down the back of her night camisole. Reggie gave a very annoying laugh that dragged on as Pepper fell out the bed with a yelp, piling on the floor at the brunettes feet, still fighting with the ice cube down her back.

"REGGIE! What the flamin' hell is wrong with you!?" She screamed as the ice cube finally fell out the bottom and she slowly rose to her feet, brushing her hair out of her face to show that it was flushed a bright crimson in annoyance and anger. "What are you doing in my room!? No! Better question; what are you doing in this house!?"

"Getting' ya ready for work honey." Reggie said simply as her laughter subsided to a simple taunting smile. Pepper glared in response; her normally soft hazel eyes dancing like fire as she clenched her hands into fists. Reggie seemed unfazed. "Orders from the big guy himself. Today is your first day so get ready; take a bath, wash ya hair, do watcha gotta do."

Pepper stammered and stuttered for the right words but after a few seconds, thought it was best to leave the conversation with a long loud groan before huffing and stomping her way over to the private bathroom that she had found last night when she woke up with a need to use the bathroom. Reggie smiled coyly as the door to the bathroom slammed shut.

"I'll be in the hall if ya need me." She called after the red head. Her response was the sound of water running.

* * *

"Oh no this will not do." Reggie said before clicking her tongue. Her eyes scanned the ginger haired girl up and down, her head shaking as they did so. Pepper's brow furrowed as she glanced down at her clothes wondering what was so wrong with them. A v-neck white shirt, some black skinny jeans, and a pair of black flats certainly were enough, wasn't it?

"What? Too casual?" Pepper asked with a shrug. Reggie gave her an incredulous look before forcing a smile.

"Honey, ya need to wear business clothes. This is a business after all." Reggie explained as though she was speaking to a five year old while gesturing to her own grey pants suit with a white button up shirt and a string of black pearls around her neck. Pepper's lip curled up in disagreement.

"I don't own…anything like that." She said pointing an indignant finger at Reggie's ensemble. The accented woman gave a dark look that was carried through her eyes and Pepper flashed a smile. "But it looks fabulous on you."

"Nice save kid." Reggie snorted as she moved past her and back into Pepper's suite. Pepper followed, watching as Reggie strode over to the wardrobe, jerking it open to show that it was fully stocked with clothes; pants and skirts suits in particular.

Reggie searched through a few of them, shaking her head every now and then. After a moment she made a small noise of revelation and pulled out a jet black skirt suit. She tossed it in Pepper's direction and said girl caught it with ease and began inspecting it as Reggie moved to a bottom drawer filled with an assortment of colored lace tank tops.

Glancing back at Pepper, Reggie nodded before pulling out a pink tank top. She tossed it over her shoulder and Pepper had to run to catch it.

"My orders were ta get ya ready for work and I'ma do just that. Get dressed in that and I'll be back with the shoes. I have some in the car."

Pepper nodded to the authority in the woman's tone and Reggie smiled before leaving the room all together. Glancing down at the clothes in her arms, Pepper gave an aggravated sigh as she began to strip off her casual clothes unaware of the microscopic security cameras that were always running in every room, except personal bathrooms.

Pulling on the tank and the jacket was easy enough but the skirt was an issue. It was loose with a long slit and she struggled with pulling them up without falling only to realize she was pulling them up upside down. Muttering at her own stupidity she pulled the skirt off, flipped it over so the zipper was at the _top_ and pulled on the skirt.

After pulling herself together and running a brush through her bob cut hair, she glanced at the full scale mirror that hung on her wardrobe. Smoothing out invisible wrinkles in her skirt and straightening out her jacket, Pepper couldn't help but find that she looked nice and completely profession; a look she never associated with.

The skirt wasn't too short, ending at the knee, but the slit that went up the right leg could have made it an extra mini skirt and the tank showed off an ample amount of cleavage. The jacket hugged her curves in all the correct places and she couldn't help but wonder if this was really professional or she was going to seduce her boss…although the thought has crossed her mind.

"Well look at ya! Don't ya look like a little seductress. Going ta seduce Mr. Stark?" Reggie said as she strode into the room with a shoe box in her arms. Pepper jumped at her sudden appearance and her cheeks turned a bright red at the woman's words and the fact that she practically read her mind.

"N-No! You're the one that chose the outfit anyway!" Pepper pointed out in her defense. Reggie gave a careless shrug.

"Yea but you're the one working it, being all curvaceous and are you wearing a push up bra?"

"NO!" Pepper exclaimed as her arms flew up to wrap around her chest as her entire face turned red.

"Oh…"Reggie said simply glancing at her chest again. "Are they real?"

"REGGIE!" Pepper screamed clenching her eyes shut due to her embarrassment. Reggie chuckled before extending the box out to Pepper.

"If ya look that good now, these heels will make ya look downright sexy. Ya'll be turning heads girl." Reggie said with a snap of her fingers. Pepper took the box with a less than excited look on her face.

"H-Heels?" She questioned glancing between Reggie and the box that had Louis Vuitton written across the top in perfect cursive.

"Yah. Ya got the legs for it Red; nice shape and you're pretty tall."

"I don't work well in heels." Pepper stammered as she opened the box. Sitting there was a pair of patent leather pumps that had some pink graffiti across the top that said love by what she could tell. The heel looked to be about four inches. Pepper swallowed.

"Honey you can handle it. It's all a matter of walking lightly and having the proper strut." Reggie said giving a nonchalant wave of her hand.

"Strut?" Pepper repeated quirking an eyebrow.

"Yah, ya know; the way you move one foot in front of the other while giving your hips a good sway. It's like a girl's ultimate lure when it comes to men and it always looks scandalous with a good pair of heels."

"Um I don't strut. I walk." Pepper said indignantly. Reggie gave her a blank stare.

"So you've never pranced?"

"No."

"Paraded?"

"Nah-uh."

"Work watcha mama gave ya?"

"Uh nao?"

Reggie gave a frustrated sigh as she brought her hand up to slap against her forehead. Pepper gave a nervous chuckle as her hand moved from her forehead to her nose where she pinched the bridge between her index finger and thumb. She shook her head shamefully before glancing down at her wrist watch.

"Okay we have about half an hour,"

"And you woke me up so early!?"

Pepper was paid no mind as Reggie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess we could give ya a swagger in a few minutes. How 'bout it Red?"

"Do I have much of a choice?" Pepper muttered more to herself than Reggie.

"Don't worry baby pop; you'll be satisfied with the results." Reggie said with another one of those devilish smiles. Pepper swallowed.

* * *

_I'll leave it at that for now and again, I apologize for the delay. I really had no intended on waiting until just now to update but I haven't been writing for a while to my surprise. I guess I suddenly just got lazy, ya know. Anyway I hope you liked this chapter enough to review and even if ya didn't review anyway! Thanks._

_~RMS~_


	6. Now Walk it Out

_It's been a while hasn't it. I don't know what I promised but I guess I should update more often when I get the opportunity instead of staring at my computer asking myself if I should or should not open it and get to work. Being lazy is what I'm best at…which is a bad thing…Oh well at least I had the courage to actually update now with no clue as to what I'm going to write. I apologize for the wait._

_~Roses~_

* * *

_Chapter Six: Now Walk it Out_

* * *

"Uh…Reggie, I'm still a bit skeptical about this…" Pepper said as she stared directly at the lights on the elevator wall that indicated that they were moving from the underground garage and towards the inside of the building. Reggie, who really had tuned out Pepper's complaining, glanced up from filing her nails and perked a brow at the red head.

"Listen Red, there are people who got it and who can work it and there are people who don't and who can't," She chided as she tucked her nail file into the inside pocket of her suit jacket. Pepper fidgeted as she glanced over at the brunette.

"Where do you fall in those two categories…?" She muttered. Reggie's expression twitched for a moment before she put on a broad smile and pulled Pepper into a half hug by the shoulders.

"We are not focusing on me. We are focusing on the fact that ya have it and you _are_ going ta work it, got it?" Pepper nodded numbly in response and Reggie popped the gum she was currently chewing on in approval.

"But isn't this an official environment. Tony has always been an all work and no play kind of guy. He didn't have much of a social life." Pepper laughed as her mind drifted back on her memories of trying to get Tony to go out with her…as friends of course, but he would kindly refuse, focusing on the day he would take back Stark International.

"The Stark you know and the Stark I know are two totally different Starks." Reggie laughed sarcastically as she gave her dark eyes a slight roll. Pepper's brow furrowed and she unconsciously tucked some hair behind her as a gesture of contemplation.

"I'll admit Tony has changed since we were last together but people grow and change as time goes on, isn't that normal?"

"Well I suppose. I mean I wasn't always this charismatic and social when I was a kid. I was very quiet an well-mannered." Reggie mused giving a far off look as she reminisced on her teen years where she had been granted the opportunity to work as an intern in Stark international…back when Howards was still alive.

"That's a shock…" Pepper commented keeping in mind on how much Reggie chatted her up on the drive to Stark tower. Once again, Reggie's expression twitched.

"Again, that is besides the point…" Reggie said through grit teeth as a small bell sounded signaling that they had reached their floor. Reggie grinned and clamped her hands together while Pepper bit her bottom lip anxiously. "Hey, ya like ta be known and make a statement, right?" The brunette questioned turning towards Pepper.

The ginger haired girl shrugged as she casted her hazel eyes downwards. "Yea…I've been told that I'm a loud person…not just vocally though."

"Exactly," Reggie sighed placing her hands on Pepper's shoulders before she reached up and began to fluff the flaming red hair that Pepper had continuously tucked behind her ears. She pulled them out, running her perfectly manicured nails through the tresses before snapping her gum. "Well then let's get louder."

With that said, the doors to the elevator hissed open to bring them onto a floor filled with office areas and cubicles. Pepper knew that they were on that elevator a little too long for them to be in the main lobby. She froze as people began to file into the elevator and Reggie laughed lightly to herself. Taking the hazel eyed girls hand, Reggie pulled her out of the elevator just as the doors hissed shut.

"Um…why are we here?" Pepper questioned cocking her head to the side. She received a few looks due to the suggestiveness hidden behind such a small and innocent gesture, but she had no clue as to how she looked to the people around her.

"This, my dear Potts, is what has come ta be known as _the cat walk_. This entire unit of the building is a majority of male workers…when some of the girls and I got bored we decided ta play a little game."

"This game would be…?" Pepper trailed off. Reggie scoffed as a sly smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, ya have ta walk, is all."

"There's a catch to this."

"Course…" Reggie giggled in that laugh that caused people to cringe. "Ya have ta walk; give it your all and strut ya stuff turning as many heads as you can. Girl who turns that most heads gets a pretty high priced rep 'round here."

"A-And you want me to do that?" Pepper stammered through her shock as she choked on her words. Reggie scoffed once again as Pepper began to protest, coming up with a bunch of reasons why she didn't want to do this and shaking her head frantically, causing fiery red locks to fly around.

"Ah, here comes the help." Reggie said glancing past Pepper and down the hall. Pepper snapped around and took in the seemingly frustrated expression of one of the auburn haired triplets that she had encountered the day before. By the dark dressing habit and the expression on her face…not to mention the lip piercing, Pepper recognized this sister to be Rex. "She agreed ta aiding us when I mentioned that ya might break Heather's record."

"Um…?" Pepper hummed in confusion as Rex paused before the, arms crossed and hip cocked out to the side.

"Rex here is not just a good secretary but an awesome guard dog. Grown men _fear_ her." Reggie laughed placing a hand on Rex's shoulder. Said girl gave a snort as she shrugged off the hand and narrowed her green eyes into a glare.

"I'll pretend you didn't just refer to me as a bitch." Rex breathed in bored tone as she obliviously glanced down at her black painted nails.

"Eheh…well she agreed to fend off any pricks that have the balls to approach ya. You're just doin the walk, not looking for a romp."

"You guys are a little too straight forward." Pepper commented pointing between the two.

"It's what we do." They chorused before exchanging blank looks. Pepper perked a brow, before releasing an exasperated sigh and turned back towards the hall that went down the center of many cubicles being occupied by all types of male workers.

"Can we get this over with?" Pepper sighed rolling her shoulders forward then back.

"Yup," Reggie piped up in a high, excited tone. Pepper pursed her lips and Rex gave an annoyed exhale of breath. Reggie took Pepper by the shoulders and squeezed them gently while grinning cheekily. "This is all you honey. Just remember what I told ya; keep ya head up, sway them hips and one foot in front of the other, sound easy enough?"

"Yea…"

"It'll be over before ya know it so give it your all."

"Okay, calm down. It ain't like she's running in the Olympics." Rex inserted crudely as she gave a slight eye roll of impatience. Reggie cleared her throat awkwardly before nodding.

"Yea…go get 'em Red." She said as she nudged Pepper forward.

Pepper took in a deep breath, puffing up her chest as she took one step forward only to stumble slightly in the heels that she had been (in her mind) cursed to wear for an entire day. Reggie took in a sharp breath and Rex gave another impatient exhale. Pepper sighed through her nose and stood up tall and at her full length. She rolled her shoulders back and relaxed her arms at her sides before taking another step, this time with more confidence.

The next few steps were the most awkward, but Pepper kept herself more focused on remaining upright and following Reggie's instructions rather than pay attention to the eyes that followed her like a hawk. Rex remained a few paces behind, shooting glares and daring one of them to make a move. Every girl had a reputation and Rex's held one that made her a force to be reckoned with and a person to be respected, or feared as Reggie put it.

Pepper glanced over her shoulder, back at Reggie who mouthed _"hair flip and smile"_ while adding in the gesture just to make sure she understood. Pepper nodded slightly, more to herself than anybody else as she forced a soft smile onto her face. She brought a hand up and raked her fingers through her hair before giving the tresses a casual flick that looked more casual then conceited.

Pepper could feel the eyes on her now.

Fighting back the anxiousness, she continued her strides, moving her hips with each step as she remained conscious of keeping one foot in front of the other without twisting her ankle. Rex nodded in approval from behind as she took note of a guy who actually sat up a bit before sitting back down upon seeing Rex perk an eyebrow at him in daring question. The red head was doing well so far.

Heads did turn, and as a nervous gesture Pepper clamped her hands behind her back while arching it a little catching more attention than she intended. She swore she heard someone mutter her name...or maybe she was just being paranoid. There was no need to be overdramatic, not when she was nearly ten steps away from finishing with such a horrific and rather degrading experience.

Her soft smile turned bright as she took her last few steps with a slightly arrogant swagger. Just knowing she was done made her prideful and she couldn't help but wonder just what her results were.

However while contemplating over this matter she was not necessarily paying attention to where she was going so she ungracefully knocked into someone, getting a face full of shirt and hiss of disappointment from a certain Reggie. Rex chuckled rather darkly instead of in amusement.

Pepper pulled back, blowing some ginger strands of hair out of her face and tugging at her suit jacket, fixing and creases that could have suddenly appeared upon impact.

"I am so sorry…I wasn't watching where I was going and my mind was elsewhere and today's my first day and…"

"Fewer words please?" The request was one she was all too familiar, so glancing up Pepper took in the features that made up Tony giving her a look of slight amusement while still looking rather awkward.

"O-Oh…" She breathed as she lowered her gaze and her cheeks flamed with a red tint. Tony chuckled lightly at her expense and she pursed her lips.

"Don't worry about it Pepper, I'm used to the blabbering." He commented smartly while crossing his arms over his chest. Pepper scoffed as she snapped up her head to glare at him playfully.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say I talk to much because if you are I am _highly_ offended. I mean I understand that I'm wordy but I'm not a blabber. I mean you could call me talkative, expressive, and sometimes open but I do not…"

Tony cut her off abruptly by clamping a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened twice their normal size as he gave her a careless smile like he was doing nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes slowly began to narrow into slits and he laughed inwardly.

"Well maybe if you weren't so…_wordy_, I would have the opportunity to tell you that you look nice. Business wear definitely suits you." He breathed as his eyes swept over her quickly. Her cheeks began to burn once again as she snatched his hand away and off of her face.

"Well…thank you, I guess." She muttered crossing her arms over her chest.

"You even went so far as to wear heels. I'm surprised you haven't broken both your ankles and sued me for what I'm worth." He commented gesturing to the four in heels that Reggie had so graciously bestowed upon her.

"Don't tempt me Stark. I might be able to get out of that marriage proposal with an idea like that." She joked as she tucked her hair behind her ear, going against one of things on the list of things Reggie told her not to do.

"You wouldn't do that." He chided as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. Pepper quirked an eyebrow at him in question as his lips curved up at the corners into a smirk.

"Oh? Why wouldn't I?" She shot back leaning in towards him before quickly pulling back and rolling her neck in a manner that she had picked up in a fight with Tori.

Tony chuckled once again as he leaned towards her, just as she had done, but he did not automatically pull back. Instead he moved in, close by her ear, letting his warm breath tickle her cheek.

"Because you love me."

"_How'd you know!?" _

Pepper furrowed her brow at that thought before quickly dismissing it. She was over all that and she would remain over it, not only to prove that she had changed but because she was not going back so easily. That would be just like giving up and Pepper would do no such thing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…Stark, ya need to, first of all, back it up," Pepper said as she placed her hands on his chest and gently nudged him back. Tony leaned back, raising an eyebrow at her as she tucked her hair behind her ear anxiously. "Second of all, I know it would make your day to have another girl at your feet but keep in mind who you're working with! Remember, I'm the one who went through seven different fighting style training periods."

"Duly noted…"

"Also I've got dirt on you…Iron Man." Pepper sighed letting the last part come out as a low breath. Tony narrowed his eyes at her and she gave a knowing smile.

"You wouldn't." He muttered.

"I would." She retorted quickly.

"You're too smart for your own good Pepper…wait when did you get so smart?"

"I am so going to hit you!" She exclaimed before smacking him on the arm swiftly. He laughed lightly, amused by her pouting lips and furrowed brow.

"I like my women violent." He commented lowly.

"TMI!" She exclaimed swatting his arm once again.

* * *

_I cannot tell you how many times I have hit one of my guy friends and they respond in such a manner. It's weird but funny all the same so I thought I'd throw that in there for ya. Well, again, I apologize for the long wait. I had this typed up but forgot where I had saved it….(I know, its stupid but its my excuse). Please review and be kind._


	7. Stress Level

_I can't remember the last time I have updated but this one must be an earlier update than the last one and I'm doing this on my sick day off from school (I feel as though I'm going to die). Hmm, I think I will treat myself to a cookie for that…if it doesn't make anything worse. Well enough of my complaining. I hope you enjoy this next chapter._

_~December Roses~_

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Stress Level_

* * *

The task had been simple enough.

Tony had handed her an envelope that had confidential stamped across it in bright red and even then she did not feel intimidated…and when he said he needed a copy of each of the blueprints in that secretive folder she had smiled brightly, thinking to herself about how easy her job was going to be with minor tasks like this…

But here she was, staring at the most complicated copier she had ever laid eyes upon…Worst of all, she had only seen copiers before, never had she actually used one of this massive size; a scanner, sure she's used one of those, but this contraption that Tony had designed, no doubt, looked more difficult than learning how to fly a jumbo jet. There were buttons, dozens and dozens of buttons…

"Which one do I press…?" Pepper trailed off anxiously as she bit her nail. The first blue print had been pressed on the scanner and she was staring at the small screen that had the simple word GO blinking rapidly. The only issue was that Pepper did not know how to GO.

Furrowing her brow she pressed the blinking screen and it quickly shifted to a bunch of options that she was not familiar with. If the thing was touch screen, why had she been staring at the numerous buttons for the last twenty minutes in confusion?

Whimpering in annoyance she pressed the standard option only for another option to come up. She grit her teeth as it asked her for the number of copies. She typed in the desired amount and paused as the machine began to process what she wanted. It wasn't until it began to hum that she began to worry. After about ten minutes of humming and no product, she, out of her frustration and impatience, bashed her fist down on the machine just as she had to that contraption she found in Tony's kitchen.

Big mistake.

"Oh gosh…" Pepper squealed as the machine began to spit out copies. She picked one up off the floor to see that only half of the design had been copied successfully. The next few copies were the same. "Oh…no…" She whimpered as she scrambled to pick up the messed up copies, although the copier was spitting them out faster than she could actually manage.

To make matters a little more difficult, the machine began to blink ERROR on its small screen as it made a groaning sound that functioning machines are not supposed to make. Pepper's eyes widened as the paper started coming out in twos and at twice the speed.

"CRAP!!!" She screamed pulling at her ginger hair as she scrambled around in her heels, which also was not her best idea of the day with all that paper littering the ground. It took only a split second for her heel to slip from under her causing her legs to fly up in the air before her back came in contact with flood that you thought was soft carpeting but it was really concrete with a thin carpeting over it.

Pepper winced as a small groan escaped her mouth while thinking to herself that no, the task had not been simple at all.

"Well are you doing down there you silly goose!?"

Pepper cracked her eyes open to see a familiar pair of green eyes staring down at her. She furrowed her brow, thinking it had been Rex that was speaking to her, but by the cheerful smile and bright eyes that were wide with optimism, she could only peg this girl as Kitty, surprisingly enough the naïve girl was the oldest out of her three sisters…by twelve minutes.

"Uhhh…" Was all Pepper could come up with. Kitty giggled girlishly as she stepped around Pepper and held out her hand to the fallen girl. Pepper cautiously grasped it and was quickly hauled to her feet with little effort on her part. She had to furrow her brow at Kitty's strength.

"I was just on my way to copy something, but it looks like you pretty much sent the copier on a frenzy." Kitty said as she moved to the still crazed copier and pressed some buttons. Pepper blinked stupidly as the papers ceased to fly from the machine and once again it was blink GO.

"Yea…me and technology don't exactly click as well as I wish." Pepper said sheepishly as she smoothed out her skirt and tugged at her jacket. Kitty giggled uncontrollably and Pepper cracked a small smile.

"Oh Pepper, you are so funny! I'm sure we are going to be the best of friends!" Kitty exclaimed joyously as she quickly wrapped her arms around Pepper's torso I a tight embrace. Pepper was caught off guard by the gesture and stood there stiffly. Kitty was…something else.

"Great…" She trailed off as Kitty pulled away. The auburn haired girl giggled behind closed lips and nodded as she turned back to the copier.

"I have such a good feeling about you Pepper. When I first laid eyes on you I thought we already had so much in common. I mean you wear pink and so do I not to mention you mouthed off Heather; I applaud you for that!" Kitty said flashing a grin in Pepper's direction before turning to the copier.

"Why does everybody have this thing against Heather?" Pepper questioned, It was not like she found the valley accented girl charming because Heather was anything but, although the way Reggie, Rex, _and_ Kitty spoke of her was so…spiteful.

"Well as her sister I am speaking from the heart," Kitty began in that sugar sweet voice. "The girl makes rocks look smart. She has no clue what she's doing here. She is the dumbest bimbo I ever had my misfortune to be related to…but that's just one opinion!"

Pepper blinked at how dark Kitty had just sounded, and about her own sister. "Wow…" Was all she could say.

"Yea and trust me Pepper you have what it takes to knock her off her high horse. The girl gets attention for her looks and we look alike! What the hell is up with that!?" Kitty spat as she received her copies from the machine.

"That's actually a good point."

"I know Reggie has taken you under her wing and Rex is also pulling for you. I heard you exceeded Heather's head turning record on the cat walk." Kitty giggled.

"Really?" Pepper said as her brow shot up. She thought her not so graceful crash would have her lose points in the long run.

"Yup; 107 and that is definitely better than 86 if my math skills are up to date." The auburn haired secretary joked with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Pepper actually laughed lightly and this caused Kitty's expression to brighten dramatically. "Aw, your laugh is so adorable!"

"Thank you…?" Pepper muttered as she stepped up to the copier for a second time in hopes of getting things to turn out a little smoother now that she saw the youngest of the triplets effortlessly make her own copies.

"So…you and Mr. Stark go way back, huh?"

Pepper glanced up for a split second, noticing the mischievous gleam to the girls green eyes. She narrowed her eyes as she turned back to the machine with a shrug. "Yea, Tony and I are best friends."

"Just best friends…not close friends or…friends with benefits?" Kitty breathed nonchalantly. Pepper stiffened and turned to look at Kitty once again to see the young secretary smiling coyly as she innocently inspected her manicured nails.

"W-What would make you think that?" Pepper stammered as the copier began to spit out the copies she had been ordered to make. "Tony and I have always been best friends…l-like siblings even."

Kitty continued to smile, giving off the impression that she was unconvinced. Pepper cleared her throat awkwardly as she turned away from Kitty to hide the blush that was creeping its way across her freckled cheeks. Kitty giggled behind her and Pepper heard her approaching before a hand came down on her shoulder.

"Whatever you say Pepper…" She muttered. "I'll see you later."

Pepper nodded simply as she ducked her head and bit her lip as her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red.

* * *

"Who drinks pumpkin spice coffee anyway?" Pepper muttered as she rolled her hazel eyes in an annoyed fashion. Before she could even deliver the copies she had been asked to make she was sent to off to fetch coffee, a direct order from _Mr. Stark_. Pepper had once again thought the task was easy enough with a Starbucks just a block over but when _Mr. Stark_ asked for coffee he did not want any coffee…He only requested the best.

So that's what sent Pepper to the other end of the city to a coffee shop run by three elderly Columbian women who took about twenty minutes just to translate your order than another hour to grind the coffee beans to perfection and add in the proper spices to make "the best coffee around", as Tony had referred to it as.

At first Pepper was not so annoyed with the whole going across the universe for a small cup of coffee thing…but that wasn't the end of it. Once she had finally returned, having already used up her lunch break to retrieve the coffee she had been looking forward to sitting at her desk and simply taking calls… but that's not what a personal assistant does.

As soon as she stepped foot back into the building Reggie had handed her a stalk of files that needed to be alphabetized and stored in the proper cabinets. Pepper had grit her teeth, but forced a smile nonetheless and nodded.

After spending a good two hours organizing and storing the files she had went to take the now chilled coffee to her wonderful boss, only to be halted once again by Heather of all people.

"Can you like schedule some appointments for Mr. Stark? You are like the manager of his, like, agenda." If the annoying valley girl accent wasn't enough to cause Pepper to twitch with annoyance, it certainly was the smug smile on the girl's bright red lips.

"No problem." Pepper laughed sweetly. Heather nodded and left; strutting with unnecessary emphasis on the ass she did not have. Once out of ear shot Pepper groaned loudly. "Why does this man need someone to do _everything_!? He's a big boy, he can do it himself!"

"And it's that kind of attitude that will get you fired." Rex deadpanned before gliding past her.

Pepper could only blink in response.

So…

Once Pepper had the copies organized, the coffee in hand, the files stored away and the agenda set up correctly after many mess ups, she was on her way to Tony's office. The annoyance was apparent in her expression. Her brow was knit and her nails were digging into the coffee cup. She kicked the door to the office open causing Tony to jump at his desk. Pepper stomped her way over, dropped the copes causing them to scatter and dropping the cup as well.

"There, I finished every tedious task you had sent for me to do. Sorry about the cold coffee." She said flatly as she crossed her arms under her chest. Tony cocked his head to the side as she tried to shuffle the papers together.

"I asked for coffee…?" He questioned scrutinizing the cup. "Ohhhh…I did, didn't I? Well I don't want it now."

Pepper could feel her last bit of sanity burn up as her eyes twitched.

"Listen here you rich ass punk, I was attacked by a copier, I got at least thirty paper cuts organizing files, I have schedules your appointments up to date!" Peppered yelled slamming her hands down on his desk.

In her rage she reached for his tie and jerked him forward so that their noses now touched and he could clearly see the fire that flared in her eyes. If he didn't know any better he would have said that her hair was on fire as well.

"Not to mention my feet are screaming in pain, and I had missed my lunch break to go fetch this fifty dollar coffee from a coffee shop located in the boondocks! I do _not_ care what you _want_ because, cold or not, you _are_ going to drink that coffee and you _are_ going to like it!" She screamed jerking him forward, into her a bit more.

"Hey kid I…" Reggie's words died on her lips as she stared at the two a mere movement away from crashing faces together. She quirked her brow as Pepper snapped around to face her panting for breath. "I don't even want to know…"

With that Reggie spun on her heel and exited the office chuckling to herself.

* * *

_This chapter was a so much fun for me because I could just picture pepper flipping out under the pressure of stress, I mean, she has done it before, hasn't she? Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter just as much as I did. Thanks for reading and I hope you review as well and tell me what you think._

_~December Roses~_


	8. He's a Whore

_Oh goodness, once again I can't remember the last time I had updated. I feel so bad now. I should have updated a long time ago but I have been drawing a blank while trying to figure out how to wrap this around the concept of the movie while staying as far away from copying the plot line. Hopefully I don't disappoint and hopefully you don't hate me for the long wait._

_~Rolyn~_

* * *

_Chapter Eight: He's a Whore _

* * *

"Good evening Ms. Potts,"

"Hello House…" Pepper grumbled as she slammed the door behind her with as much force as she could. The hologram of what she could only identify as "the British sounding butler" was there to greet her, smiling a genuine smile…as far as holographic smiles went.

Although that didn't help her sour mood.

So, she mindlessly stepped right through the hologram, disrupting him and making his image illegible for a moment. She kicked off her heels carelessly in the middle of the foyer, letting out a dragged on sigh as she felt the sweet relief of being liberated from the wretched footwear. She had been working for a week and had been getting used to them, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"House…" Pepper called out as she made her way to the main staircase. The hologram seemed to magically appear in front of her with an expectant expression. Pepper jumped at his sudden appearance but regained herself quickly and frowned a bit. "Where is Tony?"

"I believe he's in the lab Ms. Potts, working on an upgrade for his Iron Man suit." The computer generated voice responded quickly with an affirming nod. Pepper nodded as well, narrowing her eyes a bit.

"That's why he dumped the rest of that damn paper work on me…" She grumbled more to herself than the computer program. For a second time, Pepper stepped through House, paying him no further mind as she trudged all the way to her room.

Pepper wasn't even tired. She was so tired that she wasn't tired…and it has only been a week. A week of running errands, dealing with annoying secretaries, doing a crap load of paper work and managing every detail of Tony Stark's life which was much easier said than done. She was exhausted to the point that she was moving like a zombie…

Although, she has been able to learn over the course of the week. She had realized who she could and couldn't trust within that…zoo they called Stark International; Reggie had become her first companion. She had been working at Stark International long before her time…she had been an intern when Howard was still with them, so she placed most of her trust in the brunette.

Then there was Rex. The girl was crude and barely willing to take anything from anybody. She acted as though she didn't want to be there and had openly admitted that the only thing keeping her there was the amazing pay, but Pepper couldn't help but wonder why she had taken the job in the first place and her sister Kitty…Oh Kitty was a sweetheart with a surprisingly dangerous temper. She was kind but at the same time vicious…Pepper liked Kitty but couldn't help but wonder if the girl was bipolar.

Oh and lest we forget that last of the three…Heather.

Pepper hated Heather.

Simple as that.

The oldest triplet was annoying not only with her nasally high pitched, valley accented voice, but her attitude was what threw Pepper over the edge. Sure, they had started off on a bad note but Pepper had high hopes for her new life as a Stark employee…but Heather's rude looks and dumping assignments on her could only have her sane for so long…

Upon reaching her room, Pepper kicked the door open and threw her purse into a random corner before dragging her feet to the bed and flopping into it, face first with a groan. She had planned on telling Tony off for leaving her to work _overtime_ on a Friday night, but she would let that wait until the morning…right now all she wanted was a warm bath and possibly some food.

Her stomach growled.

Okay, definitely some food.

* * *

Pepper stomped into the kitchen clad in and oversized Princeton t-shirt and a pair of pink fuzzy slippers. Her hair was still wet from her bath and her expression was rather passive rather than completely stoic like when she came home.

"Hi,"

"Oh my God!" Pepper exclaimed as she jumped in surprise. Tony furrowed his brow before laughing lightly. After regaining herself, Pepper pursed her lips before shooting him a glare.

"Still as spastic as ever, if you ask me." He commented as his smile broadened. Pepper watched him for a moment as he mixed up some fruit in a bowl. A fruit salad actually didn't sound so bad…

"I _didn't_ ask you." Pepper grumbled as she made her way to the fridge. Upon her approach, the fridge opened on its own accord which caused Pepper to step back to avoid getting smacked by a stainless steel door. She still wasn't used to how automatic everything in this house was. Even the shower was automatic if not set on voice activated…which was difficult to adjust to.

"Whoa, what's with the attitude Red?" He chuckled, using the nickname Reggie had given her. Pepper shot him a glare over her shoulder and his smile quickly faded.

"I'm just tired…okay?" She breathed pulling the half gallon of milk out of the fridge and stepping away so it would shut. A late bowl of cereal was good enough. "Doing your bidding isn't exactly the most relaxing job in the world Mr. Stark." She muttered as she crossed the kitchen to go through the cabinets for some cheerios.

"Aw, I'm sorry." He muttered.

"You better be." She said with a dangerous smile.

"Would you hate me less if I gave you a raise?" He tried with a slight shrug. Pepper stared at him flatly for a moment but couldn't suppress the smile that was pulling at her lips. Tony smiled as well, knowing that it was safe to do so.

"I expect a lot of personal days too." She sighed as she went to retrieve a bowl. Living there for a week and she already knew where everything was; House had helped her memorize the kitchen at least. There were still times she'd get lost…

"Of course." He said quickly.

"And I would like less face time with the copier…it doesn't seem to like me very much." She muttered as she poured milk into her full bowl of cereal after retrieving her spoon. Tony laughed lightly at that last request.

"Only you would have difficulty working a copy machine…maybe you aren't qualified for the job?" He joked perking a brow at her.

"Oh no…" Pepper laughed incredulously. "I _am_ qualified for the job. I have the endurance to handle it…I just don't have the patience."

"You've never been patient Pepper." He retorted knowingly. When he turned his back to her she stuck out her tongue childishly while making faces before he turned back to her, chewing on a piece of fruit.

"Well I wanna know how any of your former PA's were able to handle this…" Pepper muttered. Tony shrugged, but Pepper noticed the knowing look in his blue eyes. She decided not to question it and turned to her bowl of cereal. "I'm basically running this company for you."

"Working for me can't be that bad." Tony said lowly.

Pepper gasped dramatically. "Yes! Yes it is!" She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air for emphasis.

Tony shrugged once again. "Okay then, quit."

"Quit?" Pepper repeated. He nodded slowly. Pepper stared at him for a moment, noticing the lopsided smile that was coming to his lips. He thought she couldn't handle it and she was just going to give up like that? Oh no…this was Pepper Potts; FBI trained, former hyperactive, totally upgraded Pepper Potts.

She wasn't going to let _him_ win the hidden challenge.

"No, I can handle it." She said confidently.

"Can you really?" He retorted as a lopsided smile pulled at the corner of his lips. Pepper narrowed her eyes at him as she took a step towards him, hands placed firmly on her hips as she stared him down…or maybe it was the other way around considering the way he towered over her.

"I can handle anything you throw at me Mr. Stark. I have dealt with so much shit when it comes to you so a little thing like being your PA certainly is just a walk through the park; no, it's more of me being pushed around in a stroller through a park. That's how easy it is!" She said firmly as she poked him right in the chest.

"Okay…" He trailed off with a nod. "But this whole conversation started with you complaining about how tired this job makes you."

"Tony since when did you become such a pain in the ass?" Pepper breathed bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Tony laughed lightly as she shook her head in disbelief.

"I guess I always was…but I was more focused on getting to where I am now…and now that I'm here, at the point where I was aiming for, I can be as much of a pain in your ass as I want." He said with a coy smile. Pepper stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"I am so regretting having failed that class…" She muttered taking a few steps away from him. Tony groaned as he followed her.

"Come one Pepper…"

"Don't come on Pepper me; I have been dealing with a bunch of crap all my life all of them revolving around you." Pepper said waving her arms around for emphasis, referencing to their many adventures as teenagers and how many times she stared death in the face only for Tony to swoop in and save the day even though he was the likely cause of said near death experience.

"Well most of the time you volunteered. You jumped at the opportunity to be a part of team Iron Man." Tony retorted, thinking back to the day he had first revealed himself to her as Iron Man. She had been so eager to help from that point on.

"Only because I wanted to help."

"Exactly and now you're helping again…this time in a more secretarial setting."

"Secretarial? Tony, I'm running your company."

"That's funny, I don't remember it being called Pepper International."

"You know what? I'm done."

"No we are not done."

"No _we_ aren't but I am." She said moving towards the door to the kitchen with a dismissive wave of her hand. Tony groaned a second time before going after her, taking her by the wrist and pulling her back.

"Are you breaking up with me?" He questioned jokingly with a lopsided smile.

Pepper growled as a hot blush crept up the back of her neck.

"Pepper…" He breathed pulling her into him and wrapping his free arm around her midsection. Pepper blinked in surprise as he leaned his head on her shoulder and pulled her as closely to him as he could. Her freckled cheeks flushed as she stood there stiffly. This did nothing for the sixteen year old hyperactive girl who had a massive crush on him that still existed in the back of her mind. "I'm sorry…alright?"

"Do you know what you're sorry for?" She asked cocking her head to the side.

"For being a pain in the ass."

"And?"

"And putting you up against the copier…"

"And?"

"And making you basically run my company?"

"And?"

"Come on Pepper!" He snapped lifting his head.

"_And_?" She snapped right back.

"And I'm sorry for living?" He tried. Pepper smiled brightly.

"There you go…and they said you wouldn't get any smarter."

"You're a jerk." He grumbled, releasing her from his grip.

"We all grow up…_differently_." She said with a smirk as she strode towards the door, purposely swaying her hips to show just how much she had _grown up_. Tony perked a brow as her watched her; yes, he was very appreciative of how much his friend had grown up.

Tony gave a wolfish smile just as Pepper paused in the threshold to glance at him over his shoulder. "Pepper, I feel like you're trying to tell me something…or maybe that's the curves talking." He commented bluntly as he made an hour glass shape with his hands.

Pepper laughed. "Goodnight Tony." She sighed shaking her head.

* * *

Pepper awoke the next morning to her phone going off playing Pretty Girl Rock…a song she had never set as her ringtone. Blinding reaching for her phone on her nightstand she mentally cursed Reggie for getting a hold of her phone and changing her ringtone. Finally wrapping her fingers around the Blackberry, Pepper pressed talk before peeking her head out from under her covers and pressing the phone to here ear.

"Hello…" She said in a groggy voice.

"Good Morning to you too…"

Pepper immediately perked up. "Tori?" She laughed as she quickly sat up in bed. The voice on the other end of the line laughed along with her, glad that her friend was able to recognize her voice so easily.

"How's my favorite seasoning doing?" Tori questioned. Pepper gave a more sarcastic laughed this time as she rolled over and pulled herself up so that she was sitting up against the headboard of her massive bed.

"Fine, how are you and the husband?" Pepper asked back as she pulled her knees in towards her chest, smiling brightly. She doesn't remember the last time she had smiled to wide, but speaking to your best friend could do that to you.

"Rhodey and I are just fine…constantly on the move with the whole job situation but that's the price I pay for being a military wife, right?" Tori chuckled from the other end of the line. Pepper couldn't help but notice the twinge of annoyance in the laugh, but she'd do anything for Rhodey…even if that meant being in Seattle on minute than Philadelphia the next.

"Where do they have you now?" Pepper groaned on her friend's behalf.

"New Jersey…" Tori groaned back. Pepper squealed.

"That's like…"

"A twenty minute commute to New York? Yea I know." Tori said cutting Pepper off. "Expect me and Tony to drop by to see you and Tony very soon."

"Wait…how'd you know…"

"You and Tony were living together?" Tori cut her off once again. Pepper pursed her lips wondering how she was able to do this. "Rhodey was laughing about it for two hours straight when Tony told him…I feel for you Ginger…"

"Why?" Pepper scoffed.

"You're living with a notorious billionaire who has had more than his fair share of scandalous moments. Pepper, the guy is a whore." Tori said bluntly. Pepper gasped.

"Tor…that's rude to say."

"Rhodey is the one that called him a whore first." Tori screeched in her defense. Pepper gasped a second time. Sure, she has heard her fair share of rumors about her high school companion, but so far Tony has shown no signs of being what everyone presumed him to be…well besides the fact that he shamelessly flirted with anything in a skirt…and she could of sworn she saw him smack Heather's ass once…

"Okay I'd rather not talk about this…" Pepper said, turning her train of thought around. Tori giggled uncharacteristically.

"Alright, Pep…I just wanted to warn you on my impending visit. We can have lunch together soon." Tori sighed. Peppered nodded slowly as though Tori could see her and with the friend telepathy, Tori probably had. "Good, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise Pepper…" Tori laughed. "As long as you promise me one thing."

"Anything…"

"Turn Mr. Stark around and get him out of this whore phase."

"Tori!"

In response, Tori laughed before the line went dead. Pepper groaned before swiftly pressing end on her phone and tossing her phone to the end of her bed. Chewing into her bottom lip, Pepper couldn't help but wonder where her notorious employer was. Tony rarely slept because he basically lived in his lab…but sometimes she really wondered what he was doing down there.

Pepper huffed.

Like she really cared what Tony did…

Okay…by the way she threw her covers aside and rushed out of her room, she cared quite a bit. Pepper sneakily made her way to the ground floor going towards the pad locked metal door that lead into the basement…Tony's lab, garage, armory and basement…How to get in, how to get in…

"This whore…" Pepper muttered.

Tony would be secretive enough to deny her rights to the password.

"House!" Peppered called out. The butler hologram appeared next to her immediately.

"Yes, Ms. Potts,"

"Tony is in the lab, correct?" Pepper said. She felt as though she had to be more articulate with the computer program being as it was far more intelligent than she could ever hope to be.

"That is correct Ms. Potts." House responded with an affirming nod.

"Can I see him?" She asked carefully.

"Ms. Potts, it is logged in my records that you are not authorize to go beyond this point." House responded.

"Yes, I know," Pepper said through clenched teeth. She mentally scorned herself and tried to remain collected. "But it is in fact an emergency."

"Are you in danger Ms. Potts?"

"No…"

"My apologies Ms. Potts, but I am afraid you cannot go beyond this point." House responded with a shake of his head.

"I'm pregnant." Pepper blurted out. "The baby is his! I need to tell him House! He needs to hear it in person!" She said overdramatically, her words running together as she put on her most desperate face.

"Overriding lab lock security codes." House said before the metal door leading to the basement slid open with a hiss. Pepper inwardly smirked as she went through the door and down the stairs towards glass paneling that gave her a perfect view of the vast space that was Tony's lab. She choked on a gasp as she looked around a bit only to frown at the second pad lock.

Tony had been innocently altering schematics for his latest Iron Man suit while listening to old rock when he noticed her standing there behind the glass door staring in awe in only her giant Princeton t-shirt and with horrible bed head. He couldn't help but wonder how she had even stumbled into the restricted area. He had hid the codes from her for a reason. This was his lab…_his_ sanctuary…_his_ escape from everything including her temper, her constant rants…her vexing smile…those tempting curves…

_Alright, calm down Tony…_

"Mute…" Tony sighed as he closed the holographic image of his schematics. His music automatically shut off. "Jarvis, let her in…" Tony locked eyes with Pepper from opposites sides of the glass and smirked. Peppered rolled her eyes before taking note that the door was unlocked and pulling it open.

"Welcome Ms. Potts…" Jarvis greeted.

"Thanks House…" Pepper laughed.

"That's not House, that's Jarvis." Tony corrected as he lazily made his way over to her.

"Jarvis?" She questioned perking a brow.

"Pleasure meeting you Ms. Potts." The disembodied voice inserted. Pepper laughed behind closed lips.

"Only you would feel the need to make two artificial intelligences to manifest in your house." Pepper sighed with a shake of her head.

"Whoa, Jarvis is a complex program intended on aiding me with Iron Man…House is just part of the help." Tony laughed.

"I wonder how he'd feel knowing you're seeing another computer program."

"Very clever Ms. Potts." Jarvis inserted once again.

"That'll be all Jarvis." Tony said sternly looking at nothing before turning to face Pepper once again. The ginger haired girl was staring at him. "Why are you staring, no, wait; better question is how did you get down here? This is a restricted area."

"I have my ways." She said with a sly look. "By the way, House thinks I'm pregnant with your child." She breathed with a coy smile. Tony gave her a blank look that she chuckled at.

"Okay…" He breathed. "Why are you down here?"

"I wanted to see you?" She tried, smiling sweetly. Tony snorted and her smile fell. "I was curious." She admitted.

"Now _that's_ an answer I can believe." He laughed as he moved away from her and back towards his metal desk that had three different computer monitors on it. Pepper followed him and perked a brow as she looked at all of the complex programming displayed across the screens.

"Tori and Rhodey are visiting…" She finally said.

"Is that so…" He said as he brought up a rough schematic of an Iron Man suit. He stared at it for a moment before typing something in that had new programs popping up the screen so quickly Pepper couldn't keep up.

"Yea…and Tori thinks you're a whore."

Tony paused and looked at Pepper out of the corner of his eye.

"This visit should be interesting…" He muttered as a smirk came to his lips.

* * *

_It's been quite a while since I last updated. I apologize to all of you who have presumed this story dead or forgotten. Honestly, I just didn't know what to write until recently and I finally got my ideas out before they flew from my mind. Thank you all for bearing with me and I am sad to say that I am unsure of how soon the next chapter will be up, but I promise this story is not abandoned. I just hope that somehow, someway, my love for Iron Man is rekindled. Please review…_

_~Rolyn~_


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